Team
Partners

Helena Pleinert, Dr. sc. techn. ETH – Managing Partner
Experience: CEO & Founder of Pleinert & Partner, extensive experience in human capital management, organizational development and learning & development, particular focus on new forms of organization and learning; cultivating various academic cooperations, among other teaching seminars at the MBA and PhD level at UIBS; previous professional experience in asset management and in research.
Education: PhD in Technical Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Masters in Physics Engineering, Program for Executive Development at the IMD in Lausanne.
Languages: English, German, French and Finnish.
Location: Online, Switzerland

Jukka Walliander, M.Sc. (Econ.) – Managing Partner
Experience: COO and Head of Finnish operations, extensive experience in human capital management; award winning background in sales, marketing and recruiting. Previous positions in the IT and FMCG industries, in professional services and in international trade, in multinational corporations as well as an entrepreneur; has established several new businesses.
Education: Masters in International Business Administration from the Swedish School of Economics in Helsinki.
Languages: Finnish, English, Swedish, basic German.
Location: Finland

Christina Pleinert, Mag. rer. soc. oec. – Managing Partner
Experience: CFO, in-depth expertise in HR operations, payroll and insurance, also extensive experience in recruiting. Previous professional experience in IT- and marketing consulting in the area of internet and e-business solutions. Prior experience in a financial role in the nonprofit sector.
Education: Masters degree in Commerce from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration.
Languages: German, English, French, Finnish.
Location: Online

Nicole Kollars, Dr. phil. – Managing Partner
Experience: Consultant for HR Development and Management Trainer, extensive experience in strategic human resource development with particular focus on competency modeling, strength oriented leadership training, team development and conflict management; previous professional experience in conflict research and management consulting.
Education: PhD in Conflict Research from Zurich University, Masters in Management of NGOs from the London School of Economics, Certified Mediator, accredited Insights MDI® & Assess® Trainer and consultant for stress prevention with RELIEF (R).
Languages: English, German, French and Italian.
Location: Switzerland

Bernhard B. Kolb, Rechtsanwalt – Managing Partner
Experience: Practice Leader HR Consulting & Outsourcing, extensive experience in HR consulting with a focus on HR strategy, HR processes and legal aspects; previous international experience as Director of Human Resources in global large and mid-sized companies, among other in the telecom and IT industries. Prior experience as Head of Corporate Services and Corporate Lawyer with a focus on Mergers & Acquisitions (HR Due Diligence).
Education: Master Degree in law (University of Berne) and admitted to the Bar of Berne; certificates on European Business Law (University of St. Gallen) and best-practice international Human Resources (University of Berne).
Languages: German, French, English.
Location: Switzerland

Juha Koikkalainen – Partner
Experience: Extensive experience in sales, coaching, recruitment process, business developing and in commerce skills developing in profit and non-profit organizations. Previous positions in IT, in facility management, in professional services and in sales developing. Experience in multinational corporations as well as an entrepreneur.
Education: Master degree in Economics and Business Administration (Hanken School of Economics Helsinki, Finland)
Languages: Finnish, English, Swedish
Location: Finland

Lasse Fredén – Partner
Experience: Extensive experience in strategy, risk management, business development, change management, supply chain, procurement, logistics, HRD and recruiting in various positions. Previous positions in airlines, travelling, logistics, customer service, MRO and professional services. Experience in multinational corporations, middle size companies and public organizations.
Education: Master degree in Industrial Management (Helsinki University of Technology, Finland)
Languages: Finnish, English, Swedish
Location: Finland

Silver Borer, M.A. HSG – Partner (non-executive)
Experience: Silver Borer, M.A. HSG, certified tax expert, has been practising tax and legal consulting for more than 15 years, focussing on small and medium-sized enterprises. His specific areas of expertise are reorganizations of companies, succession planning, and sale of companies. Besides, he is active as a board member, director and branch manager for various enterprises. After his start in tax and legal consulting, he was a partner in a medium-sized trust company for several years. In 2005, he started his own enterprise
Education: He obtained his law degree from university of St. Gallen (HSG). While working with Arthur Andersen he was trained to become a tax expert
Languages: German, English.
Location: Switzerland

Sara Moss – Partner (non-executive)
Experience: Technical Writer at u-blox AG, previous professional experience at Avaloq Evolution AG, as Practice Leader IT at Pleinert & Partner, in software engineering and system- and database administration in the USA and in Switzerland, and as an editor, writer and co-producer of an English language bi-monthly publication in Switzerland.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg.
Languages: English and German.
Location: Switzerland
Consultants

Petteri Viljakainen – Senior Consultant
Experience: consultant in the field of business law, extensive experience especially pertaining to Agreements, Labor Law, Competition Law, M&A and Corporation Law. He has worked as a Legal Counsel at the office of Ernst & Young in Helsinki for 12 years having clients from small and medium size companies to multinational conglomerates; has also have worked at Attorneys offices, at the office of the Finnish Competition Authority and recently at the Federation for Technology Industries of Finland and holds several board positions.
Education: Law degrees from the University of Helsinki (Master of Laws) and from University of Amsterdam (LL.M.), Licensed Legal Counsel which means that he has right to represent clients in any court in Finland.
Languages: English and Finnish.
Location: Finland

Rajkumar Sabanadesan – Senior Consultant
Experience: Comprehensive experience in coaching leaders and managers dealing with difficult organizational situations. Specialized in leading change and meaning, with particular strengths in leading people in crisis situations, using brain-based coaching. Over ten years of prior leadership experience from private, public and non-governmental organizations.
Education: B.Sc. in Social Pedagogy, B.Sc in Health care, Diplomas in Education and in Social & Health Care Administration/Management, certification in Brain-Based Coaching by NeuroLeadership Finland. Certified Leadership as Service (LaaS) Facilitator, certified EASI coach by Master Finland, certified Horizontal Leadership coach by IMO Institute for Human and Organizational Development, certified board member by the Chambers of Commerce.
Languages: English, Finnish, Tamil, Sinhalese, Russian, Greek
Location: Finland

Ellen Byman – Research Consultant
Experience: Experience in Customer Service and in Social and Health Care Services. Former Board Member in the Finnish Psychology Students’ Association. Former Representative of Finland in the European Federation of Psychology Students’ Associations.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Åbo Akademi University. Swiss European Mobility Programme student at Geneva School of Economics and Management. Currently working on her Master’s degree in Psychology at Åbo Akademi University.
Languages: Swedish, English, Finnish
Location: Finland

Amanda Hekkala – Research Consultant
Experience: Experience in communication services and customer service. Communications and environment manager in the board of Political science & sociology students in University of Lapland.
Education:
Currently working on bachelor’s + master’s degree in Political science in University of Lapland. Erasmus student in Università degli Studi di Torino in the department of social sciences.
Languages: English, Finnish, Swedish
Location: Finland
Advisors

Roy Franke – Advisor
Experience: Senior Executive with deep experience in digital learning, business development and innovation management. As digital learning consultant led a banking education program with more than 3’000 participants per year. Also consulted leading companies in digital education, e.g. ZKB, Schindler, UBS, Valiant Bank, Sanitas Assurance, and more. Also engaged as innovation manager and coaching StartUps and corporates in new ventures and in business models. Teaching at several business schools for digital learning, innovation management and digital business transformation.
Education: Executive MBA in Business Engineering – University of St. Gallen, Master of Applied Science in Education Management – Zürich University of Applied Psychology, Bachelor in Business Administration – Private University of Zürich
Languages: English, German, Spanish, French
Location: Switzerland, Mexico, Spain

Alexander M. Selden, Dipl. Kfm. – Advisor
Experience: Senior Lecturer, previous professional and entrepreneurial experience as an Executive in Post Merger Integration Management, as the Managing Director of a Management Consulting boutique in Switzerland with a focus on business development, strategy, business modeling, restructuring, process reengineering, M&A, Due Diligence and pricing in various industries (Oil/Gas, Metal Industry, Automotive suppliers) and services providing companies, and prior experience in controlling and project management in industries and banking.
Education: Studies in Mining Engineering and Business Administration at RWTH-Aachen.
Languages: German, English.
Location: Switzerland

Dorota Ratajska – Advisor
Experience: Coach and Trainer, extensive experience in Executive Search and Active Sourcing, in particular conducting highly specialized international searches for clients in the life sciences industry; previous experience in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs and in training and teaching.
Education: Master of Science in Psychology and Master of Science in Molecular Biology – both from Warsaw University (Poland). Extensive study in HR management. NLP Practitioner.
Languages: Polish, English.
Location: Switzerland

Lina Petraviciute – Advisor
Experience: consultant and trainer in corporate communications, business development, and employer branding, focus areas are in building corporate online communication awareness and developing strategic internal and external communication strategies. Vice President and board member of ‘Living In’ organization for Integration initiatives, lecturer at ‘Swiss Skills Academy’, founder of Tuskwood MEDIA.
Languages: English, Russian, Lithuanian
Location: Lithuania, Switzerland

Edit Siev – Advisor
Experience: Test Center Manager, experience in language and exam training (Certified ELC examiner), in developing and elaborating course concepts, and as an official translator and interpreter for various international clients in the areas of Private Banking, Law and Market Research.
Education: B.A. and B.Ed in English Language and Literature, University Debrecen, Hungary, Bar-Ilan University, Tel-Aviv, Israel, M.A. in Journalism, MUOSZ, Budapest, Hungary
Languages: Hungarian, English, German.
Location: Switzerland
It is named after the heraldic animal of the “Zunft zum Kämbel”, the medieval association of small businesses in Zurich.
